My latest guest runs an award winning B&B in Broome, so not only does Toni Bourne know the ins and outs of what is required in terms of running a fabulous boutique accommodation, Toni is also an expert in what it takes to run a business in a seasonal tourist town.
Having been a small business owner, Mother and wife since 21 years of age Toni has developed an impressive range of skills that have contributed to her very successful business, BroomeTown B&B. Established in 2006 with her husband Richard, together they painstakingly designed every last detail, hand built and developed the business in a short 12 month timeframe. This now, award winning, business has provided the perfect lifestyle for this ambitious couple who are empty nesters in their 50’s.
Toni’s philosophy for running a small business has been a commitment to; excellent customer service, attention to detail, solid financial planning and having fun along the way. Toni is very house proud, loves meeting new people and with a passion for photography and travel her small business is a perfect combination of everything she loves.
In podcast 65 she talks frankly about owning a business in a remote location with a hugely fluctuating seasonal population. 90% of her business is between April and November, so this presents significant challenges, and a whole heap of discipline to carry the business through the ‘off season’.
90% of Toni‘s business, Broometown B&B, is between April and November. She admits that it takes super discipline to carry the biz through the quieter months between December and March.
Toni also talks honestly about the fact that the rewards from the business have been very different to what she originally envisaged.
BroomeTown B&B social media:
http://www.broometown.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/broometownbedandbreakfast/
https://www.instagram.com/broometownbedandbreakfast/
Listen in, or read the full transcript below.
To listen to the full interview on iTunes click here.
You can listen to the full interview on Stitcher click here.
To listen right here on my website click here.
My guess is that you are here because you are curious about what it might be like to start your own business?
Perhaps you’ve been wondering if you have what it takes? If your idea will work or even how much it actually costs to build a successful business?
I’ve written a book that can answer pretty much all your questions “So You Want to Start a Business” and you can download the first 20 pages at www.thestartupsteps.com
15 years of experience working with start up businesses are condensed into the 7 steps in this book.
It’s your step by step guide to launch your business smarter and faster and I’m so excited to be sharing it with you and can’t wait to hear about your progress.
Are you ready to grab your copy? Click here for Amazon or in Australia Booktopia
Happy reading!
Here is the transcript of the podcast with Toni:
Ingrid: Good morning, and here we are today with Toni Bourne, good morning, Toni.
Toni: Good morning, Ingrid, thanks for having me.
Ingrid: My pleasure. And you are on the sunny West Coast of Australia and I am on the sunny East Coast of Australia. So Toni, tell us what … sorry?
Toni: I said we couldn’t get further apart if we tried. (laughs)
Ingrid: We could not. Toni, tell us what business are you in? What is your business?
Toni: Ingrid, I’m in a … or my husband and I, we’re in the tourist industry. So largely hospitality and we own and operate a boutique bed and breakfast (B&B) sunny Broome in Western Australia.
Ingrid: In lovely Broome in Western Australia, a bed and breakfast. I think, you know, half our audience are probably thinking what a fantastic business that would be to have.
Toni: It is. And it is definitely a lifestyle business. It’s something that appealed to us quite a few years ago and it just had to be the right time to bring that to fruition.
Ingrid: So, when did you start the business? When did you start it?
Toni: We actually officially opened on the 22nd of June 2006. So we’ve been here 12 years now. We started the building process 12 months prior to that and the idea probably came to us back in 2003, I would say, after a trip to Tasmania.
Ingrid: So long time in the planning.
Toni: Yeah, it was a seed that was planted, I guess then. And comes back to why we started the bed and breakfast in the first place was from having experienced a similar type of accommodation in Tasmania. And then at a point in our lives where we were looking for something new, we were looking for both of us, we were looking for a new career. Richard is a builder by trade and getting to that age where that was becoming hard work. And I was looking for a challenge.
Toni: And Broome being the tourist town that it is and a growing industry, the demand was there for new accommodation, we knew that from our experience of living here and sort of having a wide network of friends and associates that we … you know, our ear to the ground. And we just thought, “Let’s give this a crack.” It sort of came together just beautifully really in the end, building beautiful houses is something we knew we were good at and we both enjoyed meeting new people and travel was something we both tried to do at every opportunity. So it seemed like the perfect combination really.
Ingrid: Very nice. So that’s kind of your why. So the why for starting it was to career transition, your husband getting to a point where he knew being a builder wasn’t going to go on forever. So you knew there was a need to do something different.
Toni: That’s right.
Ingrid: So what did you actually want from the business, from day one? What did you want it to do?
Toni: Well, I won’t lie. We wanted to make money. We were still trying to build wealth for our future and our primary motivation for this was money in the bank. That was our driving force. However, having said that, the business model that we designed had a very considered balance of hard work and lifestyle but essentially, we wanted to have some control in our lives, in our work life.
So that was what we wanted from our business. I couldn’t say that it actually turned out that way but that was our driving force. We were at a point in our lives where we were trying to build for our future.
Ingrid: Okay. And can I just get you to say again about the combination of hard work and lifestyle? Can you just say that bit? ‘Cause it truly is, isn’t it?
Toni: Absolutely. I guess there were times when the hard work far outweighed the lifestyle but I guess now, 12 years down the track, we’ve probably got that balance leaning the other way which is perfect.
Ingrid: Which is perfect, okay. So one of the questions, and this is one of my favourite questions is ’cause it’s such a different point in time for every business, when did this business feel real? When did you go, “Okay, now we’re in business.”
Toni: Well, that is a very memorable moment and it’s one that we still laugh about today. I’ll never forget the day that we received our very first booking. I was at home and not in this home, in our family home and I had been developing the business plan for a couple of months, I was already sort of chipping away at it whilst Richard and his team were busy in the building phase.
Toni: We were literally digging the foundations, so very early start of the building process and I had already developed a website. We received our very first booking when we weren’t even out of the ground. And that booking was only nine months away. So I’d literally set the timeline and I can remember going, “Oh my gosh, this is real, we had better open on time.” That was the moment that it actually felt very real. So it was gutsy we took a huge risk but we were opening mid-season, we were guaranteed to be able to take bookings from day one, given the nature of the market in Broome at the time in the tourist industry. So we didn’t want to miss out on that, that hit the ground running start. So we took a huge risk but it paid off.
Ingrid: It paid off. So, Toni, just for the audience, ’cause more than half of this audience is not in Australia.
Toni: Okay.
Ingrid: So June is the middle of your peak season because-
Toni: That’s right. So, our winter months are our peak season. So in Australia, I think 28 degrees during the day, 10 degrees over night, you’ve got this beautiful sunny days with no rain, virtually from April right through to September is our peak time. And so whilst the rest of Australia is cold, we have beautiful reliable sunny, hot days.
Ingrid: So, it definitely is a winter holiday destination.
Toni: It is, yes.
Ingrid: So, if we think about the customers and over 12 years, you’ve really learned who they are and what they want and obviously a B&B is a very niche part of the tourism. Not everybody wants to come and stay at your style of accommodation, not everybody wants to come to Broome.
Toni: That’s right.
Ingrid: How did you know that this was going to be successful, how do you know that people wanted your product?
Toni: Yeah, I guess you never really know but research was pretty key in the beginning. We’ve lived in Broome for many years at that point of starting our business and we had a really good understanding of the town. We’ve got friends and associates across all walks of life and we did heaps of research, we asked lots of questions, we trolled the internet and we networked to find the answers that we were looking for.
But with all of that, even the best laid plan going into business is risky and we knew that, from experience, we had already been in business before. Our first business, we opened when I was 22 years old, back in 1987, knowing nothing. So you know, we brought from that a lot of experience and a lot of know-how and we also knew that what we were offering was something very different to what was already available in the town. In fact, we were pitching at something that was completely opposite to the accommodation styles that were already present in Broome which was largely the resort experience. We basically just put our faith in ourselves and set out to do the best we could.
Ingrid: Yeah, and it’s obviously paid off very nicely for you. Just out of interest, how many guests can you take altogether?
Toni: We can take now, having modified things a little bit, we can now take eight guests. So we have four guestrooms. So it is very … it’s an intimate setting, it’s quite personalised and it’s exclusive in that way that it’s only eight people and we’re mostly set up for couples or travelling companions and the corporate market. So no families, resorts do families really, really well. We wanted to provide something very different.
Ingrid: Nice, so that’s another niche as well. It’s for couples and corporate and travelling people, and not families.
Toni: Yeah, I would say that. Our rooms only sleep two so that narrows things down again in terms of the market that we’re aiming at, yeah.
Ingrid: Okay, so thank you. So building a B&B obviously takes a considerable amount of funds. Now, you’ve referred to the fact that you were wanting to set something up that would make money, that would give you a financial future. You don’t have to go into lots of detail about how much and things but how did you fund this? Where did that money come from?
Toni: Okay, I guess we, to fund the business, we basically had to sell an investment property that we had. We also invested capital from our family home and then we approached the bank with the shortfall. So it was a bit of a scraping together all of our life’s work to make it happen. And obviously, when you’re approaching banks, you have to go with a solid business plan, that was something I’d never done before. So that was an interesting experience.
But off we went with our business plan. And back in the day, they were throwing money at you, really, if you can come up with a good plan and we did and we had the runs on the board with our experience previously. So that was, yeah, basically how we funded it.
Ingrid: And it’s a huge commitment, isn’t it? Because it’s a lot of money to build something like that and you know, as you said, the banks were good and generous but you still had to pay back that loan, didn’t you?
Toni: Yeah, absolutely. But like anything or anything we’ve ever pursued before in business, we’ve always had a plan B. So this was our plan A, we presented it to the bank, we had predictions for income, expenditure in place but if that didn’t work, we had an exit plan. So we had a strategy in place for what we would do and I think that is really important as well.
Ingrid: Yeah, having a plan B, indeed.
Toni: Having a plan B. Sometimes it goes to C and D but you know.
Ingrid: Yeah, indeed. Okay, so you found your first customer and that’s how you knew you were in business. So what are some of the ways that you find customers now?
Toni: Look, our repeat guests, to be honest, are our best form of advertising, they do some amazing work for us. We have a high percentage of repeat and referral clientele so that is the best compliment you can receive in business and is a really promising or positive review. We always ask our guests in the booking phase how they found out about us. So we like to sort of monitor that and TripAdvisor and review sites like booking.com are really good to us. We get a lot of business that comes directly from those sites.
And something else that’s really changed over the years is social media. It’s grown exponentially, it’s just something that I didn’t even know about 12 years ago. Broome Town B&B has a Facebook and an Instagram page or profile and that provides a really great platform for promoting business and generating new clientele. Can be a bit time-consuming at times, posting new content to trying to keep it interesting and monitoring those sites but definitely, it seems to be the way to get the word out these days. Obviously, apart from your repeat guests that-
Ingrid: Well, and I think there’s something like yours which is such a visual, you know, for people to be able to see how beautiful the weather is now. You know, if we’re sitting in freezing cold Melbourne with rain, you know, the idea that you could be sitting in your swimsuit and having your breakfast in the sun with just a T-shirt on. The visual is so important.
Toni: That is right, absolutely.
Ingrid: I’m just gonna remind people listening that we are actually talking to you in Broome which is fairly remote and Australia hasn’t always got the best internet. We’re getting a bit of interference with your voice a little bit.
Toni: Oh, okay.
Ingrid: So, I’m just going apologise for that but I am going to persist because I think the rest of your story is still pretty good. So, we’re getting a little bit of kind of background noise there so I’m not sure what that is. So, Toni, I’m just going to ask you now about the process you used for deciding a pricing strategy. So, you know, how did you know where to pitch yourself against the resorts or against the other available accommodation?
Toni: Pretty much just research again, we researched our competitors and structured our pricing to be competitive, especially for that first year. We actually came in just a little bit under where we wanted to be but we wanted to hit the ground running. We constantly monitor our pricing along with the demand and we always review what’s on offer elsewhere in order to set our last minute rates and it all comes back down to supply and demand, really.
Ingrid: So, are there different prices at different times of the year?
Toni: Yeah, absolutely. So our wet season which is not overly desirable to come up here but if it’s fly in and fly out kind of guest with them lying around the pool and having an air-conditioned room isn’t so bad, but our rates are much lower over the wet season.
Ingrid: Yeah, but when we say wet season, it just rains all the time, it’s not exactly …
Toni: It doesn’t rain so much all the time, it’s just very humid.
Ingrid: Very, very hot.
Toni: Yeah, yeah.
Ingrid: Okay. So my next question’s about exit strategy and do you wanna tell us about your exit strategy?
Toni: Yeah, timing seems quite perfect, really. To begin with, we never expected to be here 12 years, it’s amazing the journey that we’ve been on. We thought this was gonna be something short-lived. However, the longer we’ve been here, the more we’ve enjoyed it and it’s just evolved. But last year, we decided we wanted a gap year. So we employed a manager couple to come into our business for a 12 month trial, just to see how they would go, how the business would cope with a manager…. and then whether we, again, for us, wanted to travel. Long term travel was something that we wanna do which is what we ended up doing.
So with an extensive training period and a thorough procedure manual all set up in place, we stepped away from our business for 12 months just to see how things would go. The result’s really interesting. Whilst our manager couple did an amazing job at the business and our guests clearly loved them which was evident in the reviews that we received, we discovered that beyond 12 months, the property from a maintenance point of view needed this much sprucing up. So moving forward, we decided that we would employ our manager again but we would need to return for annual maintenance.
Toni: However, we’ve now decided that we’re going to sell. So we have our business on the market. So yeah, it’s an emotional time.
Ingrid: Yeah, yeah.
Toni: My husband and I have put a lot of heart and soul into this business, but we feel as though there’s still more of a story to be told here and it needs some new blood.
Ingrid: Yeah. It’s fascinating, isn’t it, that idea that in the 12 months, it just needs some attention that only you can give it.
Toni: Absolutely.
Ingrid: Only you as the owners can give it.
Toni: That’s right, yeah.
Ingrid: And I think that’s true for so many businesses. You know, a lot of businesses, we talk about being hands-off and we talk about scaling so we don’t have to be as involved. The business shows, there’s a period of time where, at some point, it shows that the owner is not involved anymore.
Toni: Absolutely.
Ingrid: Yeah, that’s such an important point, isn’t it?
Toni: Yes.
Ingrid: Okay, so well, good luck with that.
Toni: Thank you, thanks Ingrid.
Ingrid: So, what’s one thing, if you go back to the beginning and you had already had businesses in the past, so you’ve had … as you said, you were really well set up for taking this on. Is there something you wish you’d done differently?
Toni: You know what, we’ve talked about this a lot. But we wouldn’t change a thing. There’s nothing that we really wished we’d done differently because with every failure, there’s an opportunity to learn and grow. We love what we’ve created and the journey that’s unfolded, both good and bad, has been incredible. So no, we wouldn’t change a thing.
Ingrid: Okay. And then my next question which is a little bit different is there something you wish you’d known from the start?
Toni: Yeah, I guess to be honest, the one thing that we wished we’d known from the start was that we wouldn’t build wealth in this business. That was our goal in the beginning, it turned out that wasn’t going to happen.
The reward has been so different to what we expected. The networking opportunities, the lifestyle, making new friends from all over the world and from all walks of life, the travel opportunities that have unfolded. And the reward that we get from happy guests was totally unexpected. So I guess that’s what we wish we’d known from the start. But again, we wouldn’t have changed a thing. It’s just an incredible journey, really.
Ingrid: Well, and I think that’s such a testament to your whole philosophy of customer service and wanting to create something that is meaningful for people and you get that reward from that.
Toni: Absolutely.
Ingrid: And I think when people go … it’s such an interesting point, Toni, because when people go into business to actually do something that they truly love for the people that are going to use it, you know, we talk about solving a problem and creating value. I mean, you create incredible value for your guests. And you solve a problem because you solve a destination to people who want the particular thing that you offer which is a completely different experience to the resorts. And so, your reward, while you said, you haven’t built a phenomenal wealth, the wealth and intrinsic to yourself cannot … it’s priceless.
Toni: That’s right, yes, yeah. And that’s a lesson we’ve learned in this business. So it’s been a very humbling time, to be honest.
Ingrid: I think that’s such a lovely part of your story, actually. And you know, that said, you have won incredible awards. So I encourage anyone who’s listening to jump on the website, just remind us, the website, please, Toni.
Toni: Www.broometown, which is our business name, broometown.com.au.
Ingrid: And Broome has an E on the end of it, so it’s Broom-e town, isn’t it?
Toni: That’s right.
Ingrid: Yes, no broom, yeah, so it’s the same broom as sweeping the broom but it’s got an E on the end.
Toni: That’s right.
Ingrid: And when you go into that site, you know, you’ve got awards for year after year, for customer excellence, for tourism excellence. So you really have shone in your area.
Toni: Yeah, we did set out to be leaders in this industry and I’m happy to say we’ve achieved that.
Ingrid: Yeah, and you can be very proud of that, congratulations.
Toni: Thank you.
Ingrid: So now Toni, you and your husband in this together, but is there anybody else who has been of greatest assistance to you in the business? You know, who are the …
Toni: Yeah, without a doubt, firstly, I couldn’t have done this without my husband. We are a really good team and we work really well together. So whether that business partner that you have is your partner or an associate, I think that in business, having a really good working relationship was really important. We do argue at times about who is the boss but you know, we usually get through that, we take turns.
Toni: But apart from the husband, our accountant who has given us … who’s trained us and provided education in accounting software, registering for GST, preparing our BAS, creating budgets, tax advice. You can’t go into business without knowing that stuff. So our accountant has been with us right from the beginning. And also our bank manager, funnily enough. So every decision we make in business involves these two people.
We also tapped into resources from our local small business venture which was really good for startup information. Things like registering a business name. I mean, if you’ve never done this stuff before, there’s a lot to know, you know? We had to register a business name, we had to fight for an ABN, there were legal obligations, we had to create a business plan, we needed to know something about marketing. There’s so many things you need to know and if you’ve never been in business before, you have to know these things pretty quickly.
Ingrid: And it’s all at the same time, too.
Toni: Exactly. And there’s so many short courses that small business ventures can provide for you along the way in terms of social media, customer service and things are always changing. So we find that we’re constantly learning.
Ingrid: Yeah, fantastic. Again, and as you said, 12 years ago, social media isn’t what it was now, it wasn’t what it is now.
Toni: No, no.
Ingrid: And it’s such a different landscape and who knows, in five years’ time what it will all be like anyway.
Toni: That’s right, absolutely. You really have to evolve.
Ingrid: Indeed. Toni, who gives you really good feedback?
Toni: Without a doubt, our guests. And other accommodation operators. We’ve developed really good relations with other B&B operators in Broome. In fact, we probably initiated that from the beginning.
Ingrid: Nice.
Toni: We would get together maybe once a month and have little networking gatherings and we’d share ideas, problem solve and have a really good laugh about things that sort of unfolded in our businesses. But yeah, our guests provide probably the best feedback. And we use that, we always … it’s constructive, you know, ways to improve.
Ingrid: Yeah, yeah. That’s an interesting thing that you have to actually get together with the other B&B owners in Broome ’cause there could be a temptation for people to not do that.
Toni: Yeah, well look for us, there’s enough to go round for everybody.
Ingrid: Absolutely.
Toni: And we can get together and actually help each other and as a group can improve the status of B&Bs for Broome. And I think it just helps to build if we come together as a group, so we really enjoy those gatherings. And if we can’t help a guest because we’re full, well, then we know what other operators are out there, we visited their properties, we can recommend you know honestly and openly what else is available in town.
Ingrid: Yeah. And I love what you said there about there’s more than enough for everybody because there is.
Toni: Yes, for sure.
Ingrid: That pie just keeps growing, there’s more than enough for everybody.
Toni: Yeah, absolutely.
Ingrid: So, someone comes to you and says they’re thinking about starting their own business, what would you say to them?
Toni: You know what? The one thing that we have always thought about and tried to make happen in any sort of business idea that we had, we have always done with class and style and I think that is the one thing that I would recommend or suggest to anyone starting their own business, do it with class and style. Probably not what you would have expected me to say but I think you can … if you think about that, it covers a lot of different aspects of starting your own business.
Obviously, there is a lot more that I could add. That’s the one thing, the starting point. But I think research is also really important in researching your product and idea and is it in demand? You have to be able to work hard and want to work hard. And I think I mentioned this before, you have to be prepared to evolve. The business world has highs and lows and you have to be prepared for a changing market. But for us, everything comes back to class and style.
Ingrid: Class and style, very, very nice. So, what three characteristics do you have that’s made you successful? And most of the listeners listening, if you’re thinking back through the answers that Toni has given, we can probably come up with a couple of those ourselves. One of the things that I find in these interviews, as we listen to a story, we start to get a sense of who the person is. But what do you think your three characteristics are?
Toni: Well, I had to ask people about this. So, the three characteristics that … and I agree with these three that I think have made me successful in business, is being personable for a start, particularly in this industry. You have to have that personality that just is warm and open and you know, if you enjoy what you do, it really, really shows.
And the other thing is, I would say paying attention to detail. Quite often it’s the little thing that you do that can be so easily overlooked but can make the biggest difference to a guest experience. So paying attention to detail, for example, remembering somebody’s names or if it’s a special occasion. You know, putting something special in their room. You know, really listening to what they’re saying and giving tips to restaurants. You know, it’s just the little things that make all the difference.
We go to great pains to set rooms out in a way that show that we’re paying attention to detail. So yeah, that will be my three things anyway. Being personable, paying attention to detail and loving what I do.
Ingrid: Very, very nice. And the class of that combined with the class and style is why your business has been so successful. And lots of hard work as you said. Okay, so are those the sorts of characteristics that you think someone aspiring to be a startup need or do you think that somebody …
Toni: I think just to cross all sort of businesses rather than just the hospitality industry or the tourist industry, I would say the three characteristics that are essential for the budding startup would be first of all, and a lot of people will say this and agree with this is the passion for the business idea. You really have to believe in it and be passionate about that idea that you have.
But the other thing that is super important is self-discipline. If you’re going into business for yourself, you have to be incredibly self-disciplined and you have to have an excellent work ethic. That would be the three things that I would say for anybody that is out there that’s thinking about going into business, really consider those characteristics and ensure you have those qualities.
Ingrid: Yeah, ’cause the work ethic is such … it’s such a … if it’s missing, it can really derail, can’t it?
Toni: Absolutely, yeah, yeah.
Ingrid: Toni, thank you so much. It’s breakfast time for you guys over there and have you got a full house overnight?
Toni: Yes, we do.
Ingrid: A full house.
Toni: And it’s a little chilly here this morning, it’s about seven degrees which-
Ingrid: Oh my gosh.
Toni: I am even here in my slippers, so that’s very unusual.
Ingrid: So for those that are in the Northern Hemisphere, seven, seven is 14, 30, that’s about 45 degrees, isn’t it? In Fahrenheit.
Toni: Oh, don’t … Ingrid, I’m too young to know that. (laughs)
Ingrid: You’re in Celsius. Oh in the old days, we used to … ’cause I actually was a Fahrenheit, like I grew up in the Fahrenheit era. I think we used to double it and add 30, so seven, seven, 14, so it’s about 45. So yes, but that’s still … well, it’s four degrees here in Sydney which was pretty scary.
Ingrid: So thank you so much for your time, and congratulations on all your awards.
Toni: Thanks Ingrid.
Ingrid: If I was coming to Broome, I know exactly where I would be coming to stay. It’s one of those remote places that you just have to make the effort to get to, I think, in Australia, don’t you?
Toni: Oh absolutely. It’s a very unique destination. I guarantee there’ll be nowhere that you visit in Australia that will leave the impression that Broome does. It’s a surprisingly very cosmopolitan town for a very remote, small community but the landscape and the beauty here and the colours of Broome will just stay with you forever.
Ingrid: And I can attest to that because I have actually been to Broome and I’m just thinking, it was probably in the late 90s.
Toni: Oh wow.
Ingrid: So around about the time you guys were building probably. And I’ll never forget some of the experiences from there. Now just remind us, is it tourism or is it purely the pearls?
Toni: Pearls. Look, there’s quite a few industries up here that Broome is growing on the back of. The pearling industry is what really got Broome on the map and that was more from a farming commercial point of view but over the time, the town has become quite the tourist industry as well. So the pearling industry has diversified into tourism. And so, yeah, the pearling industry is massive and the Broome waters produce the best pearls in the world. So the south sea pearls are beautiful and you won’t find a better place to have a look at an incredible range.
So don’t think Grandma’s little set of pearls that are around her neck, think bigger and beyond that. I was really surprised.
Ingrid: There’s a beautiful pearl shop in Sydney that’s in one of the old bank buildings and just to make myself feel better, I love going in and looking at them.
Toni: Yes.
Ingrid: They’re like cherries. Pearls are just exquisite, aren’t they?
Toni: Yes.
Ingrid: All right. So I encourage everybody listening to get your map out and figure out where Broome is, at least. Toni, thanks so much for your time. Is there anything else that we haven’t covered or that you’d like to say because the people listening are either thinking about starting a business or they’re in that early stage, or maybe they’re just listening. Is there anything you’d like finish with?
Toni: The only thing that may be unique to business within remote locations is that the seasonal aspect of what we do can be very challenging. And you will find that in other remote areas around Australia and around the world in fact. But you know, 90% of our business comes to us between April and November. And we have to be super disciplined to carry yourselves through the quieter months which are December and March. We have to make our money through the peak season and then carry ourselves over the wet. So you know, the bills don’t stop, there’s still a mortgage to pay. So I think the cost of living, the housing cost, insurance cost in a remote location really add to the challenges of a small business in these locations.
And then anywhere where you’ve got that seasonal aspect, it comes back to being self-disciplined. And being able to sort of carry yourself over that time. So I think that’s worth mentioning. But no, other than that, thank you very much for having me, Ingrid. It’s been a pleasure.
Ingrid: Thank you. And I think that goes to … I’m just gonna pick up on that, actually maybe I’ll just do that in my outro, in the outgoing part of the conversation because that four months that you’re talking about there where the income really reduces, that has to be built into your pricing strategy. So that’s such an important point. And I was just talking to somebody recently whose product is a seasonal product and winter, there is no demand for her product or very little demand.
Toni: That’s right, yes.
Ingrid: And so, that’s … yeah, it can be either way, can’t it?
Toni: Yeah, that’s right, yeah.
Ingrid: Anyway, go make coffee for your guests, get them some breakfast!
Toni: Thank you.
Ingrid: What’s on the menu this morning for breakfast?
Toni: Sorry, I missed that.
Ingrid: What’s on the menu for breakfast this morning?
Toni: Oh look, we provide a really nice continental breakfast so we’ve got some lovely tropical fruits out there, some cereals, beautifully brewed Kimberley coffee which surprisingly enough, we have a roaster in down that sources beans from all over the world and makes some incredible blends.
Ingrid: There you go.
Toni: So Kimberley coffee is definitely on the menu.
Ingrid: Well, I guess you’ll be needing one of those as well. Toni, thanks a million and my listeners, thank you as well.
Toni: Thanks Ingrid.